Solar Flares
by JennaLynne
Summary: The memory staggered Arielle to her knees. In that moment, she knew, had she been able to, that she would have wept bitterly for all she’d given up. Book 3 of 3.
1. Preface

"It's crazy, right? To love someone who's hurt you?

"It's crazier to think that someone who hurts you loves you."

Jodi Picoult – _The Tenth Circle_


	2. Eclipse

**Arielle**

Sun streaked pearly pink across the sky, splashed onto blue, blue water that rolled against white sand as I walked the beach. I'd taken great care to avoid the rays of the sun directly; to avoid exposing what I truly was. I carried my shoes—the tattered laces of the ancient Nikes tied to hang on my shoulder. The hems of my jeans were frayed, and the jeans themselves had long since faded to white at the stress points. At the moment, I supposed I looked no more kempt than the scattering of beach bums still snoring away on the sand. Watching them sleep made me long for the restfulness of it herself. But time was already running out: it spilled like that white, sun-kissed sand held in a closed fist. The decision had been made; Alice would already know exactly where my final destination would lie. But would I be able to prevent Carlisle from coming after me? From blindly chasing the blood and death; fire and madness? All of which and Voltura seemed a world away from this soft tropical dawn.

I would go today. The journey from the beaches of Napes to the heart of Italy, to Preston, and inevitably my death, would take less than an hour. I refused to admit the absolute fear that flooded my system. It wasn't fear for myself, for I was not allowing myself to succumb to cowardice anymore. My concern, instead, was directed at those I loved, towards those I'd hurt when I left. I thought of Rosalie, my closest female confidant. And I knew, that after vanishing like I did, the bond of our friendship would also have vanished. I thought of Carlisle. The memories returned in an unparalleled flux. The gentle wave of his golden hair, the seductive curve of his lips. And because I could no longer avoid it, I thought of Paige. As I began to remember, I froze, the strength of the flashback hitting me as one hadn't in years.

_Paige never had Christmas before. Not a real one with a tree and lights, with presents. Not with family. She'd never had one in a house filled with music and the smell of fresh cookies and decorations hanging everywhere. They'd always moved around Christmastime, and never had a chance to really settle into a routine._

_Of course, she wasn't a kid or anything. __Sheesh, s__he was in sixth grade. It wasn't like she believed some fat guy in a red suit was going to pop down the chimney. Get real. _

_She was just getting into the whole business because everybody else was making such a production of it. All that whispering and talking in code and giggling. Christmas was supposed to be special for kids. _

_She was only sneaking downstairs to scarf up some cookies. How was a girl supposed to sleep when there were a million cookies in the house? _

_Carrying the music manuscript she'd framed in one hand, the first piece she'd finished on her own, Paige tiptoed in the dark, a girl of slight build with flaming red colored hair and cautious green eyes. _

_There was music playing. She stopped at the top of the stairs, listening carefully to be sure it was the radio and not Edward at the piano. After dinner, her uncles, her cousin, her mother -- she really like that phrase: her __mother__. After dinner, they'd all played music until Renessme had finally passed out on Bella's lap. Then they'd kicked Paige upstairs to bed. And that was a gyp because it had barely been 10 and it wasn't a school night or anything. _

_Emmett had made all those lame Santa remarks, razzing her._

_Remembering it, Paige tried to sneer, but it came out as a wide, delighted grin. _

_As she crept downstairs, Paige saw they'd left the tree on. She'd never seen anything like it. Arielle had wanted a real one, and in Paige's opinion, Arielle ruled. So they'd hauled in this big pine, and the guys had grumbled about stringing lights. But Paige knew they'd liked it. Now it was loaded with what seemed like a thousand ornaments, and presents with big bows and miles of ribbon were stacked under it. _

_Some of them had her name on them. _

_Probably dopey stuff like underwear and socks, she told herself, struggling against the sheer thrill of seeing those brightly wrapped boxes sparkle under the lights. Like they belonged there. _

_Like she belonged there. _

_She started to walk over, just to shake one, but spotted her father pretending to be sleeping on the couch. _

_Paige cursed under her breath, whipped what she had in her hands behind her back. She flushed at the idea of getting caught doing a baby thing like poking at boxes that would be unwrapped in a matter of hours anyway. _

_She stood indecisive, but the excuse of wanting cookies had become reality. Then, because Carlisle had kicked off the throw, she crept over to pull the cover back over him. _

_He'd been square with her, Paige thought. No, more than square. He'd been everything good, everything decent she'd stopped expecting. He and Arielle and the rest of the Cullens had given her hope when she'd come to believe hope was just one more fist in the face. _

_And Paige wished there was something she could do to pay them back. She hoped her mother liked the scarf she'd gotten her. It was really red, and Arielle liked wearing red things. But she wished it was, like diamonds or something. _

_"Yeah, right." She thought to herself. _

_She backed away from the couch, then snuck like a thief into the kitchen. Se had a smug grin on her face and her hand in the cookie jar when the back door swung open. Yelping, she whipped the frame behind her back. _

_Emmett cursed and blocked the door. "Paige." He said it loud enough to warn his brothers to hide the bike they'd spent the last two hours assembling. "What are you doing?" _

_"Nothing." _

_"Looks like petty thievery to me." Emmett heard his brothers' swearing whispers, the commotion of getting the bike back down from the porch, then stepped inside. "I thought you were cut off from the cookie supply." _

_"That was yesterday." Needing to brazen it out, Paige plucked one out, bit it. "It's after midnight, so it's today." _

_"Good point." _

_Edward strolled in, took one look at the situation and shrugged out of his jacket. "That wind bites. Why aren't you in bed dreaming of sugar plums?" _

_Since Carlisle was asleep, Paige's answer was short and crude. She started to slide away, but Edward was quicker and dropped a heavy hand on her shoulder. "What's behind your back?" _

_"Nothing." _

_"You've been at the presents." _

_Paige snorted, eyed the distance to the doorway. "No. Shaking boxes is for babies." Because she'd been caught doing it twice this week, she shrugged. "I only did it before because Nessie gets a bang out of it." _

_"Uh-huh. So what's behind your back?" _

_"Nothing." Paige started to make her move, but Edward ambled to the stove, cutting off that route, then Jasper strolled over to get a cookie for himself out of a cupboard. Boxed in, Paige hunched her shoulders. "It's nothing. It's no big deal." _

_"Give it over, kid." Emmett crooked a finger, then grunted when Paige shoved the wooden picture frame into his belly. As Emmett's eyes narrowed, promising retribution, Paige tossed up her chin. _

_"Look at that," Jasper murmured, sliding a hand over Paige's hair as the girl bristled. "It's music." _

_"Looks good," Emmett angled it, as if that would give him a better understanding of the language he didn't speak._

_"Really good." Edward agreed quietly._

_"It's no big deal." _

_"I decide what's a big deal around here," Edward kept a hand on Paige's shoulder as he studied the sketch. Yes, it was clever. The girl had talent. "And this qualifies. This is a very big deal. Who's it for?" _

_Paige shrugged. She felt warm in the belly. Not creepy, she realized, but good. Good and warm. The three men weren't blocking her in. They were standing with her. As they'd stood with her before. _

_"Just us. I was going to maybe leave it under the tree or something. You can hang it someplace if you feel like it." _

_"Arielle's going to cry when she sees it." _

_Paige looked up now. Nothing Edward could have said would have pleased her more. "Yeah?" _

_"Oh yeah. Then she'll give you all kinds of sloppy kisses and, if you play your cards right, enough cookies to keep you in a sugar coma till New Year's." _

_"Pretty good deal." _

_"Yeah." Edward rubbed a hand over Paige's shoulder, then propped the manuscript on the counter. "It's a pretty good deal all together." _

_"It's snowing." Jasper said in his quiet voice. Paige bolted for the door. Emmett managed to snag her by the collar before the girl yanked open the door, dashed out, and tripped over her own Christmas present. _

_"No playing outside at..." He looked at his watch, groaned. "Man, three in the morning." _

_"I just want to see." _

_"It's white stuff," Jasper explained. "It falls out of the sky and makes the roads hazardous and ruins suede shoes." _

_"It's Christmas snow," Paige said frantically, and then immediately felt stupid. _

_"We'll check it out from the front porch." _

_"Better, let's wake everybody up and get this party started." _

_Paige's eyes widened, and even her own yelp of delight didn't embarrass her. "Really? Now? Right now?" _

_"Sure. Santa's come by now. He'd want to avoid the snow." Emmett sent a sneer towards Jasper. "I hear he wears suede boots." _

_"Carlisle's on the couch. I'll wake him up. "Paige started out, skidded to a halt and looked back. Her face was bright as a young girl's should be on Christmas morning. "This is really cool." _

_As she raced toward the living room, Paige laughed about Emmett's Santa in suede boots. He had something a lot better than Santa Claus and a bunch of elves. _

_She had family__. _

The memory staggered me to her knees. In that moment, I knew, had I been able to, that I would have wept bitterly for all I'd given up.


	3. Truth Begins

**Carlisle**

The wind whipped the rain into roadside rows and churned the rooftop droplets into a creamy concoction with meandering smoky membranes of snow granules that danced to the edges and cascaded down the sides of our home. Upstairs, the steady beat of Seth's heart assured me he was still deep in slumber. I fervently regretted my rash decision to allow them to come, to subject them to danger, though I knew, at this point, there would be no talking them out of it now.

Paige was restless with anticipation. To my left, Jasper shifted nervously. The looming threat of imminent death that hung in the air, coupled with his susceptibility to the emotions of those around him, was bound to make him feel antsy as well.

"We'll be out of your way soon." I whispered, by way of an apology.

"Carlisle," Jasper said quietly, clearly unsure of his words. "I've been thinking about this."

I swallowed hard. "You won't talk me out of this. Nor do you stand a chance at dissuading Paige, if I know my daughter." He flashed a sharp look. "As I believe I do."

"I wasn't going to try. I, for one, believe you're doing the right thing."

"Then what are you-" I trailed off, confused.

"I've just been thinking that, perhaps, we should all be going."

"Absolutely not." There was certain firmness to my statement that I hadn't expected. "It's bad enough Paige and Seth are insistent on coming. I won't have everyone else in peril as well."

"Be realistic about this, you're no fighter."

"I only need to get in one good punch…" I muttered, more to myself than anyone else.

"Carlisle…" he repeated softly.

"Edward will never go for it. He'd never put Bella in a situation like that. And I would never dream of asking him to."

Jasper said nothing. I turned my attention back to the television, pretending to be engrossed in the infomercial. _What rational person would have a need of a samurai sword? Do people actually buy these things? _My idle thoughts were interrupted by Bella's piercing gaze.

"I am capable of making decisions on my own you know," she said bitterly. "Arielle was..._is..._important to me, too. I want to go."

In the bat of an unnecessary eyelash, Edward was in the doorway, eyes burning.

"Bella," he moaned. "Must you?"

Bella's hands flew to her hips. "Arielle's in danger. If she suffers, we all suffer!"

My heart was touched by the love in her words, but my eyes saw what Bella, perhaps, did not. Edward was agonizing, seemingly stuck in between two very difficult situations. In all of the time he knew his wife, he had fought to protect her. Though she was a strong, near unbreakable vampire now, his protective habits never once faltered. Their battle of wills had grown tired, and Edward usually gave her what she wanted. He was hard put to argue with her- she was no longer the fragile human he had fallen in love with.

I looked at my son, a grave warning in my eyes. _There is a chance that she might die, _I thought reluctantly. He flinched and was at her side in an instant.

"Bella...I am begging you, for once, find it in your heart to listen to me? I have had enough stress for an eternity. Think of Nessie…"

"Don't bother, I'm coming, too." said a small voice from the door.

Edward and Bella's eyes snapped onto their daughter. Bella gaped at her. "No!"

Edward's horrified expression morphed into a smug smile. "You don't like being on this end, do you, love?"

Bella snarled. "You know damn well, I don't. And I fail to see what you find funny about this."

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "I hate to interrupt," she said sarcastically, "But honestly, is there anyone in this room who_ isn't_ willing to go?"

I was momentarily stunned. I hadn't expected Rosalie, of all people to be willing to chase after my wife. But what surprised me more, was the silence her question was met with. Not one person harbored any ill will towards Arielle. They, like me, just wanted her home.

"And," she continued ""there will always be at least one of us who has an objection to another going. So, I think… we should just accept it. Because time is running out."

* * *

"So, where do we start looking?" a sleepy eyed Seth chimed in from the doorway. "I mean, we'd be better off trying to catch her before she makes it to Italy…right?"

I nodded. "Without a doubt."

"She was in New York…right?" someone suggested vaguely.

"Maybe…maybe we could split up?" Jacob murmured.

"But where else could she be though?" Bella asked softly, I realized, with a start, that the question was directed solely at me.

I thought about it for a moment. "She'd hide anywhere she felt comfortable. Anywhere she felt safe. The ballet studio in Portland. The villa I gave her in Naples. Our London flat."

"We have to check everywhere then." Alice whispered. "Because I've seen her in all these places, I just can't tell exactly _when_ she was there…or if she still is. As I've mention before, she knows exactly how my power works. And she's doing everything in _her_ power to circumvent it." Her eyes met mine, dark with understanding. "That's the bitch of seeing the future. Catching all the potentials, the possibilities, in brutal Technicolor, watching the people closest to me die, and worse, somehow being responsible for it."

"Not all visions are…set in stone." Jasper reminded her. For a brief moment, silence ensued.

I inhaled. "Okay. Here's what I think we should do." I released the breath slowly. "Edward, Bella, head north, to Portland, Jacob and Renesmee, further north, to Denali. Rosalie, Emmett, go to New York. Alice said she was in Kennedy Airport. Start there."

I paused, gauging their reactions. Edward was glaring at Bella, clearly furious she was willing to put herself in danger again.

"Bella-Complex." He muttered, under his breath, through gritted teeth.

Her eyebrows shot up. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You. Always willing to give your own life to save another."

"That's a Bella-Complex, now, is it?"

Despite myself, I laughed. Because I didn't have an inkling in my mind at this point, that had it been anyone else's mate that had run off, we would all be chasing down this same death filled road. So I wasn't sure Edward's use of 'Bella-Complex' was completely accurate. But, without a doubt, it made me feel better. I continued.

"Alice and Jasper, please check the London flat. Paige and Seth, the villa in Naples."

"Where will you go, Dad?" Paige whispered, stepping into the room finally.

"Voltura. Join me there if you've no success respectively."

A nod of assent waved throughout the room.

"Though I wish you wouldn't go alone…" some unknown voice called out.

"It has to be this way." I murmured. "It just has to be."

* * *

I've learned you can't exist in this world without leaving a piece of yourself behind. There are concrete paths, like credit card receipts and appointment calendars and promises you've made to others. There are microscopic clues, like fingerprints, that stay invisible unless you know how to look for them.

But disappeared was the incorrect term to use when it came to Arielle. The earth was only so vast, and she only had the financial means to travel so far. But still it would have been wrong of me to say I was confident in the success rate of our suicide mission. That in itself is an oxymoron. It almost makes it sound like I'm wishing for our deaths. If it wasn't so serious, it could almost be called funny. Don't misunderstand me, I was sure we'd find her, but I couldn't help but wonder what the ultimate cost would be.

It would also be wrong of me to say I wasn't afraid, because I was, completely and utterly, terrified. Fear coerced through my empty veins, replacing the blood that once flowed freely there. Not a single moment passed that I didn't find myself thinking of how I'd sent Bella back to the place where she'd very nearly been raped. Would it traumatize her? Could it break the unbreakable? And I thought constantly of my youngest daughter, Paige, who had so much left going for her. Her life was just beginning. How could I justify possibly bringing it to a close so soon? Most of all, however, I feared for the woman I love. Because when it came to Preston, she, no, I corrected, we, were on borrowed time. You don't get a fourth chance, rarely do you even get a third. So it becomes all or nothing at this point. And the major portion of it falls squarely on her slender shoulders. Ultimately, she would have to tackle her own demons. While I could stand by her side, there was only so much I could actually do.

_It's a heavy burden, and one I wish upon no one else. _

So the journey began then. With my family drawn and quartered. Chasing blindly down a path I was certain would lead us all into death. The only question remaining was not "Why?" but rather, "How long?"

And from here on out, this stopped being my story. It stopped being Arielle's. And it was no longer Paige's.

_It belonged to all of us, in every sense of the word. _


	4. Tangled Up

**Bella**

It has always intrigued me that Edward has never gotten me my own cell phone. I mean, not that I ever particularly wanted one, but with all the worrying he seemed to do, both while I was human and after I was turned, one would think that he would jump at the chance to give me a device that allowed contact at all times.

But apparently, one would be thinking wrong.

And the one time I'd asked, he'd laughed and raised an eyebrow, plainly saying: _"You wouldn't use it anyway."_

This, of course, was perfectly true, so I'd dropped the subject, and never brought it up again. But it always bothered me a little that there had been things I'd wanted in the past, and he'd ignored my wishes. Not because he was selfish, but because he was always putting my safety first. (Again okay, it was often necessary, I mean, how many seventeen year olds have bloodthirsty vampires chasing them?) But my point is, my wants hadn't stopped him in the past, so why should they now?

Sometimes, Edward completely boggled my mind.

And as we walked, rather, we ran, towards Portland, silence encompassed us. My keen sense of smell told me how far ahead of us Jake and Renesmee had gotten, and my crystal clear memory told me how much further we had to travel.

I looked at my husband, his auburn hair falling messily around his face; I tried, futilely to get a read on his thoughts. My efforts to gain insight would be fruitless, so finally, I broke down and asked.

"What are you thinking about?" I'd whispered, so softly I wasn't sure he'd heard me.

"I'm not," he murmured. "I'm wishing."

I blew out a breath. There were a lot of things I could imagine Edward wishing for in this moment. Wishing this nightmare was over. Hoping that it was all a dream of sorts and that it had never even begun. A whole slew of prayers in the "Why must Bella have a death wish" school of thought. I sighed, and let the silence lapse over us once more.

"Bella, you must know I don't to the things I do in order to make you miserable." he said, the all too familiar anguish lacing his words.

Incredulous, I looked at him. "Of course I don't think that." I rolled my eyes. "You know, aside from Carlisle, you're the smartest person I know. But you're not acting very smart right now. You're acting… we'll you are acting like an ass."

Edward smiled, ignoring my rub, and took my hand, elegantly twirling his fingers through mine.

"That cannot be helped, love. I only want what's best for you. I only want to protect you."

"Maybe…just in this case…you don't know what's best because you don't have all the information."

He slowed our pace to a walk, and naturally, I followed.

"What else do you know?" he asked me softly.

Oops.

I'd said too much. I bit my lip, weighing my options. I'd have to lie. Lying was something that I absolutely hated doing, not to mention that immortality hadn't graced me with a higher aptitude for it. It was either that, or admit a truth I'd been hiding for ten years. Neither seemed particularly appealing at the moment.

"I…never mind." I said, praying for once, he'd drop it.

"This is about Preston." He muttered then.

I felt my eyebrows shoot upwards. "Well, of course it is." I said, perplexed. We were chasing after Arielle to save her from Preston. I wasn't really sure where he was going with all this.

Understanding my confusion, he corrected himself. "This is about you and Preston. In the basement of the house." His tone grew icy cold, and i knew he was furious with himself for not catching it sooner.

"Edward…" I began soothingly, trying to keep my voice even and as normal as possible. But it was hard, seeing as how a ten year old secret was hanging thick in the air like a layer of smoke.

I was choking on it.

And it didn't matter; because he'd slipped into the same old pattern that was nearly irreversible. He was blaming himself, and as the seconds ticked by, he was running further and further into the pool of self-hate that was always so close to the surface of his mind. The less I tell him, the more his imagination will fill in the blanks, and he'd picture a far worse fate than I had ever met...

"Bella." He said finally, but his words had a cold edge to them. The edge I know he only finds when he is upset. I could see it in his eyes. The same eyes that so rarely betrayed any emotion at all, now told me that he was only angry with himself. And that made me angry. I bit down on my lip again, harder, and even with granite teeth, I barely feel a thing.

"Enough of this." I said decisively, when I could stand to watch him no longer. My husband looked at me again. "Whatever happened…well, it's over. I'm not out for revenge. I'm a big girl, I can handle myself."

"You shouldn't have to handle this."

"I do, Edward. Rosalie does. Arielle does. And they both had it much worse than me. Sometimes bad things are just a part of life. And you can't waste yours trying to protect me. Because it won't always work, and then we both end up unhappy."

He glared at me for a moment, clearly trying to decide if he should say more.

"Plus," I smiled, batting my eyelashes, "neither Rose nor Arielle have you all to themselves."

"Lucky them." he said, seriously.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes again. If I thought slapping him would have forced him to see logic, I'd have done it. But at this point, I knew his only reaction would be to say he deserved it for his lack of protection. So instead, I said nothing, and jammed my hands into my pockets, running onwards.


	5. Bleed It Out

**Edward: **

It is a strange sensation, suddenly having a memory come back out of nowhere. You think you're crazy, and you wonder where this recollection has been you're entire life. You try to push it away. Because it's something, that in all reality, you don't want to know. You believe you've hammered out the timeline of your life, but then you see that one extra moment, and suddenly you are breaking apart what you once thought to be a solid segment, and seeing it for what it really is: just a string of events, shoulder to shoulder and a gap where there will always be room for more.

The thing of it was, I never remembered much, as far as that night in Portland went. Having spent most of it unconscious, almost everything I knew about the events that took place I had learned secondhand. My knowledge came from what others had told me – both willingly through words, and unknowingly through their thoughts. . So in all fairness, it shouldn't have surprised me that some form of altercation had taken place in the basement of that home. To make the extra effort, though, to specifically not think of an incident is much harder than it sounds. For me not to have caught this from the private thoughts of my entire family over the course of ten years meant that it had to be horrific. Or that Bella hadn't told them of her situation, either. A situation that had rendered her silent on that fateful night, and even still, terrified at the thought of Portland.

It shouldn't have surprised me. I should have seen the signs.

But it shocked me, and naturally, I was upset. No, I mentally corrected. I was heartbroken.

So I followed my wife wordlessly as we crossed the state line into Oregon, and then the city line of Portland. I pretended not to notice the instant hitch in her step, the forced sound her breathing had acquired.

I allowed myself to sink into the pain my own mind had created.

"Don't do this." Bella muttered through gritted teeth.

I pretended not to hear her.

It seemed to be all I was doing, then. Pretending Carlisle was okay. Pretending Arielle would've come back on her own. Now I had to pretend that my wife was fine, too. Would it be easier to ignore the hurt she had been hiding? Ignorance is bliss, as the saying goes. That did not hold true for me. I wanted to know every detail of everything that pertained to my Bella. I preferred the harsh reality of truth to thinking that she was alright. I needed to help her, to make her happy. Therein lays the conundrum: would my ignoring her hidden pain truly make her happy? Wouldn't giving her what she wants give her satisfaction?

She wants me to forget. I couldn't. Was I so incapable of giving her what she wants? But her wants are just ridiculous, when they concern her own well-being. My brain was once again split in two. This was a dizzying mess that I just couldn't navigate out of...

It was Bella's exasperated sigh that broke our uncomfortable silence. My face full of concern, I stopped, turned towards her. Her face, masked by the shadows of the clouds was impossible to read.

"What's wrong?" I asked her finally.

"You. Edward. You want to know what happened?" she shouted, throwing her hands into the air. "Fine. I'll tell you. I went in the basement to get the photos of Renesmee for Aro. And no sooner had I left you, and then I knew something was amiss. Preston was down there. I didn't see him, couldn't sense him, until it was too late."

"Bella, what did he do to you?" I interrupted, unable to handle the suspense.

But she simply held up her hand, and continued where she'd left off. "He wanted revenge. Carlisle had Arielle. And he knew he wouldn't get anywhere near her, because we'd expect that. But me, he could get me. I was the closest thing to his Arielle. He had this strange control over me. My mind was my own; I knew the events that were about to transpire were wrong, that I wanted nothing to do with them. But he ruled my body. I couldn't move, couldn't do anything but think. It was horrifying, feeling so beyond powerless."

I clenched my fists, and unclenched them, afraid of what was to come.

"Just when I thought my time was up… just when he was about to rape me…Jake found us. He saved me, Edward. Prevented me from dealing with that trauma every day of my life."

Shakily, I exhaled. "Apparently, I owe Jacob much more than I thought."

She reached up, and touched my face gently as we began to move again. "Do you feel better? Knowing?"

I let her words reverberate in my mind for a moment. Did knowing all that really make me feel better? Unquestionably, on one level, I felt a wave of relief. Bella had never actually been hurt. But on another plane, I felt a fresh wave of anger, and a swift hope that I would get to be the one that killed Preston.

"She's not in there…" Bella whispered, snapping my attention back, and not waiting for an answer to her previous question. "Arielle. She's gone."

I looked up. Somehow, and I hadn't quite realized how, we'd arrived at the door to the refurbished house serving as a ballet studio. Carlisle was still listed as the registered owner, and though it had never officially been opened, a faded sign hung above the doorway.

_Cullen School of Dance. _

"That place is never open." An old woman muttered, sizing up the building as she passed us by.

I turned back to Bella. "You're right. I suppose then, our final destination too, lies in Voltura."

"I knew, always, in the back of my mind, that it would come to that."

I laced my fingers through hers, saying nothing more, because secretly, I was glad for a chance to face down Preston. Anxious for the opportunity to make him pay for what he'd done.

He would not get away this time, I'd make sure of it.


	6. Here's to Us Fools

**Jacob:**

Pick ten strangers and stick them in a room, and ask them who they feel sorrier for – me or Arielle – and we all know who they'll choose. It's kind of hard to look past her lifeless eyes, or the invisible bruises. I'm not saying that she's had it easy. It's just that I have it worse, because every time I think my life sucks, I look at her, and hate myself even more for thinking my life sucks in the first place.

And I'd like to be able to put the blame on her. Just so it can fall on someone. But I know it doesn't belong there. She never asked for this. In fact, she did everything in her power to prevent this very chase, to avoid this very situation. But yet, here we were. Nessie and I were running toward Anchorage, because it was the nearest place we could catch a plane. Having made it to Denali, and having subsequently discovered that Arielle was no longer there - Tanya had apologized to us, claiming Arielle _had_ been there, just days prior – but she had begged them not to tell us. I scowled as the ice crunched beneath my feet. I knew I was capable of running much faster in my wolf form, but Nessie had begged me to stay human. An unexplained sadness radiated from her, I wanted to do everything in my power to squelch it, so my slower pace seemed a small price to pay.

I let my mind wander, my thoughts drift. The term forever puzzled me. It was an abstract idea I couldn't seem to wrap my mind around; even after spending over twenty years trapped in a teenage body. Because even when you had forever, time moved forward. And for all the bitching and complaining I did about how my life sucked, I really had it easy compared to most people. Knowing already that my best friend would be destined one day to see me as a lover, slated to become my wife. But I also knew I was being idealistic. Even when you had forever, there was a chance things could come to an end. Thus the basis of our failed mission. To try and prolong eternity. For more than one person.

Still, for all the thinking I'd done on the subject, it seemed strange, like a foreign taste on my tongue; to try and prevent something that seemed so inevitable. To try and save someone who maybe didn't want to be saved.

Renesmee streaked past me, her blonde ringlet curls flying in a mass behind her, her laughter ringing loudly in the air. I ran to catch up with her, my hot breath leaving a cloud of smoke behind us.

"What's the hurry Ness?"

She stopped, brushing a hair away from her eye.

"Just wanted to prove I was still faster."

And she was. But I would never concede to that fact. I felt a smile tug at the corners of my mouth, as it always did whenever I was around her.

"We can see about that – in a race where you didn't get a head start!"

She laughed, shaking her head.

"No, actually, I wanted to talk. Rather, I have a question for you."

I felt a shiver run down my spine, and I knew it had nothing to do with the cold around me, and everything to do with the wave of curiosity that had just raced through my system.

"You know you can ask me anything Nessie"

She bit down on her lip, jammed her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

"Okay, well, here's the thing. The other day you were talking about marrying me. I know part of you was just trying to antagonize my father… and I know part of you was just jealous of Seth… but I can't help but wish…" she trailed off, unable to finish her thought.

I pursed my lips, knowing what the rest of her words would have been. She didn't need to voice them aloud.

"Jake. I want… I need you to kiss me."

Slightly perplexed, because that wasn't what I'd expected, I pressed my lips gently to her cheek.

"No. Really kiss me. Like you mean it."

Words failed me, and that was a first. Yet, I was compelled to do as she asked. I let my lips brush hers, softly, unsure of what she needed to get from me, not entirely knowing what she wanted. She fisted her hands in my hair, nearly pulling it out at its roots. My caution was gone then, thrown in the wind that whipped by us. I dragged her deeper, the soft, warm, velvet of her lips melting to my every whim. Someone sighed, I wasn't sure who, and the sound melded into a moan. We broke apart, gasping for air.

"Ness, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

She raised an eyebrow, her face triumphant.

"Shouldn't have, what, exactly?"

My brain was a jumbled mess. I couldn't find words, so I didn't try. I simply shrugged.

"Look," she whispered, "here's the thing."

"Apparently, there's a lot of 'things' tonight" I grumbled

She laughed; the sound of it instantly brightened my mood.

"I know my dad says I'm too young. But I've got the mental capacity of a twenty-five year old. And honestly, that's making myself younger. I know what I want. And I needed to know if you wanted the same thing."

"So, what is it you're trying to tell me?"

"Are you really that thick? I love you. I'm in love with you Jake. And seeing how perilously short forever is becoming just makes me want to spend every last second making sure that you know this."

My heart caught in my throat. I'd waited for so long to hear her say this, to admit she was ready for a relationship with me. To be ready for our forever.

"I love you too. I always have." I finally managed to spit out. "Right from the moment I first met you, I knew it would come to this."

I glanced around, getting a bearing on our surroundings. We were near Anchorage now, the city, and a place we could be together, were minutes from us.

"I want you to marry me" she whispered breathlessly.

Again, I was caught off guard. "What… now?"

"Soon." She agreed.

We took off once again, speeding towards town. The airport was crowded, and the next flight back to the continental United States wasn't scheduled to leave until the next morning. Weariness ached in my bones. Physically, I was overdone. So, I'd booked our tickets, using the exclusive black credit card with Carlisle's name on it, and then we'd set off on a mission to find a hotel.

Settling for the one across the street from the airport, allowing us easy access in the morning, I checked us in, and slowly climbed the stairs to the third floor.

I could tell Renesmee was tired too, just from the way she moved, the simple way she composed herself, reeked of exhaustion. She flopped onto one of the beds, inhaling deeply.

"What's on your mind, Ness?"

"Come, lay with me" was her simple answer.

I did so, curling into the space next to her, my large frame dwarfing her tiny body. I pressed a soft kiss to her neck, she sighed in response, rolled over, her eyes mating with mine. The chocolate brown of her irises, Bella's eyes, burned with passion, with things unsaid. I took her lips between mine again.

Somehow, I was no longer tired, I no longer wanted to sleep, and I only wanted the feel of her frame beneath mine. She fumbled with the buckle of my belt, I with the clasp of her bra. She giggled nervously, and I couldn't help but agree. Neither of us really had a clue what we were doing.

But I didn't want to stop.

And apparently, neither did she, for at that very moment, she drew me back to her, discarding the remainder of her clothing.

"Jacob. My Jacob."

Hearing her whisper, it was enough. With as much care as I had in me, I gripped her hips, I fought for control, to hold the moment, and so slipped slowly inside her, I knew I didn't want to go back. Even as her breath caught, caught again, I saw her smile. Undone, we fell over the breathless peak together.


	7. Get Away

Author's Note: I am so so sorry for the lack of updates on this story. I lost my inspiration. But I think I've found it again, so hopefully you won't have to ever wait this long again. Perhaps, reviews could motivate me? Sigh, that's blackmail, and I wouldn't dare do that... would I? Yeah, I might. :P Seriously though, I'm sorry for it took so long, don't hate me, please keep reading!

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**Rosalie: **

Have you ever really held the hand of someone you love? Not just in passing, a loose link between you – but truly clasped, with the pulses of your wrists beating together and your fingers mapping the knuckles and nails like a cartographer learning a country by heart?

I reached for Emmett as if I were drowning; our hands joined as we walked slowly down the airplane gang plank towards New York. I touched him with all the emotion I'd kept inside me during our plane ride. A journey, that during which, I didn't sleep, for the laws of my nature prevented that. But I dreamed. And in dreaming, I was still human. Young, perhaps foolish, and undoubtedly rash. With beauty and allure on my side. I touched him, and found that even something as innocent as the lacing of their fingers could raise all the hairs on the back of my neck, and nearly make my still heart beat again.

The sky was grey, and the chill that ran down my spine had nothing to do with the temperature of the air, though as that very thought crossed my mind, I realized, it _was_ cold outside, and drew the lapels of my jacket closer together.

"We don't need to do this, Rose. We can turn around and go home, if that's what you want."

The look I shot my husband was deadly. It amused me slightly to see a man like Emmett cringe. "I'm not about to condemn my best friend to death." I finally managed to mutter.

"I didn't mean… it's just… you're shaking."

"I don't like New York."

"This isn't Rochester. And Royce…" I felt his other fist clench at the mention of the name. "Royce is dead."

"The memories…they're so much sharper here. It's a psychological thing, I know. But I can't help it. And I don't have to like it."

"No, no one is making you be happy about it. Just focus on Arielle."

I inhaled. Arielle. I exhaled. I knew I needed to prevent more pain for her. Get her back to her family where she belonged. Back to Carlisle, who we'd flow with as far as JFK, and watched him grow steadily less stable. Watched, as he fell to pieces at the thought of losing her.

I wouldn't allow that to happen. But I didn't know where to start.

"Alice said she caught a glimpse of her by the international departures." Emmett murmured, reading my mind.

So, in silence, fingers still intertwined, we made our way across the airport.

My inhuman vision allowed me to see it, even though I was entirely too far away to do anything about it. The flight gate to Rome, the sign blinking its final call, the stewardess pushing the heavy door shut.

And the flash of fiery red curls.

The silence of a still heart.

I dropped Emmett's hand for the first time since we'd arrived in New York, and broke out into a sprint. At this point, it was worth near exposure running that fast would've caused, just to try and erase that look from Carlisle's face.

"Arielle!" I cried her name, praying she'd hear me.

She moved in slow motion, turning towards me, her amber eyes glowing, pained with tears she'd never be allowed to shed.

"I'm sorry." She mouthed silently, and the door slammed shut, a distance of twenty feet still between us.

Pretending to be breathless, I approached the flight attendant, and tried to look as helpless as possible.

"I need… I need to get on that plane."

"I'm sorry," she explained kindly. "We're no longer boarding."

"You don't understand… that woman, the one who just got on… she's my sister… and she's on her way to do something extremely stupid. I've got to… someone has to stop her."

"There's nothing I can do for you Miss. There's another flight to Rome… it leaves in about twenty minutes, my advice would be to catch that one."

"You can't do this to me!"

"She got on the plane of her own free will, she's an adult. I've got no cause to stop her. Please step back Madam."

And she walked away from me, heels clicking loudly with each step, any hope I had of stopping Arielle gone with her.

I felt Emmett behind me, encircle my waist with his arms, impart his strength into me.

"We'll get her, babe. Breathe, it'll all work out."

I did as he asked, inhaled, and exhaled. Yes, as long as he was with me, I knew everything would work out alright.


	8. Ready, Set

**Author's Note: Alright, its been forever and a hald since I've updated this story, I know and I'm sorry. I hit a wall, and I'm having trouble working through it. But heres something, in case anyone besisdes Rose is still reading it. And speaking of Rose, she was a huge help in the writing of this chapter, I owe her bigtime. **

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.**

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Seth:

I've always been a believer in second chances. That there's a certain amount of innate good within everyone, and they only need to be given the opportunity to prove it. I'm not naive enough to think that evil doesn't exist. Humans kill other humans, people steal, loot and pillage. But I've always held onto the idea of an underlying hope of repentance. For, after all, if a vampire can possibly choose to save human lives instead of ending them, then it follows, logically that we all must have some form of kindness within our souls, however deeply it might be buried.

But, of course, I'd thought all this before I'd met Preston.

I could find nothing good, nothing kind at all in that man. He manipulated people, and did nothing but what pleased him. Every action, every reaction was simply a means to an end. He did only things that would, in some form, help him. And he didn't care who he destroyed along the way. And now that one of the people he'd hurt was Paige, I had nothing but deepest loathing for him.

And I was convinced there was no good in him at all.

I rolled over, drawing Paige's icy frame closer to mine, and she settled comfortably into the crook of my arm.

"Sorry love. I know you don't need to sleep, but I couldn't function any more. I was running on empty."

She smiled, a flash of brilliant white teeth, and I felt a swell of emotion within my chest.

"I was human not that long ago. I can still sympathize."

"Glad to hear it." I quipped playfully. "Can you sympathize with me a little longer? I need a shower."

She bit down on her lip, wrinkled her nose. "Seth, I…"

I pressed my lips to hers, effectively ending the protests. "We'll find her, Paige. I promise."

"I know that. I really do, it's just… what if we get there too late? I have this horrible errant thought. It's like a recurring nightmare, only I don't sleep, so really it's just a bad daydream… I can't shake it. And she's dead… and I've lost one of the only people who care about me. And that sounds selfish." She finished with a sigh.

"You're completely entitled. But as far as people who care about you… what am I? What is Carlisle? Chopped liver?"

She paused for a moment before speaking again. "You're right, of course. You're always right." She whispered with a shaky laugh.

I kissed her softly on the forehead, brushing her red locks out her face. "I'll only be in minute," I promised her.

I showered quickly and dressed. By the time I had changed, Paige had already put on a fresh outfit. As she combed through her hair, she scrutinized herself in the mirror. She always had to find something wrong with her appearance, no matter how hard I tried to convince her she was perfect.

"You look gorgeous," I told her, slipping my arms around her torso and pressing my lips to her neck. I felt her smile.

"Our flight leaves soon," I reminded her. I felt her shudder slightly. As well as fearing for the fate of her mother, I knew that Paige was frightened to cross paths with the dreaded vampire monarchy. I had to admit I was not so keen on the idea myself, but I would do anything to make my Paige happy once more.

"Are we packed?" I asked her, glancing around the bare hotel room.

She nodded. We had packed lightly so we could easily carry on our bags. I picked up our suitcases in one hand and laced my finger through Paige's with the other.

"Ready?" I asked her, catching her gaze as we stepped out of the door.

She didn't answer.

Neither was I.


	9. Catalyst

_Author's Note: Okay, hiatus over, I think. (though I've said that like, four times now. I know I'm horrid. I'm sorry.) But this story will get finished; the trilogy will have a close. I promise. If anyone is still reading, please review and such._

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**Arielle:**

The darkness envelopes the sky, encompassing everything in its path, save for the areas where the fog and clouds hang like thick curtains. The air is heavy, thick with anticipation. But there is a breeze. A rather strong one that whips my long red hair around my face as I drive north on the Italian roads, grinding the gears of the standard transmission I've never really gotten the hang of driving, heading towards my certain death. And I remember how when I was a kid, my mother used to tell me that we were all allowed to make mistakes. That, without them, life is boring, menial, and really not worth living, much less enjoying. We need to make them, and we need to learn from them in order to make ourselves better people.

Okay.

Fine.

Great.

Spectacular.

I don't think she ever imagined the mistakes I would make. The sheer number, or the colossal quality of them_. But now_, I thought to myself as I pulled my rental car through the gates of Voltura, _I have a chance to rectify just a few of them. _

And it was that thought alone that kept me from being afraid. It kept me going as I parked the car, watched the lightening dance across the sky, streaking the blackness liberally with light. Light enough to brighten my entire path and guide the way as I walked through the castle doors, still keeping anything resembling fear in check, and followed the human secretary into the foreboding antechamber. Though, the fact that they even allowed a human in the building was enough to give me a moment's pause, and perhaps, a quick shot of terror shot up my spine.

Hey, nobody's perfect.

So I waited in what appeared to be a throne room for what may have been seconds, may have been minutes. Either way, it felt like hours.

And then they came. Faces I knew, filed into the room, one by one. Aro. Marcus. Casisus. Jane. Alec. Demetri. Preston.

"Arielle," Aro spoke softly, a fake gentility playing in his words. "It's so rare we have guests in the evening. It's nice to have something to keep us entertained." He smiled, baring his teeth ever so slightly.

"I've come because Preston requested I return to him. I do this without reservation or hesitation, but with one request."

Aro looked to Preston, who simply shrugged. "What might this request be?" he asked, intrigued, I think by the fact that I had dared to ask for something.

I turned to Preston and stared directly into his heartless eyes. "I want you to leave the Cullen's alone. They've not done a thing to you. And now you have me, so there is no reason for you to continue tormenting them, yes?"

The laughter that ensued reverberated throughout the room, echoing off the walls, resounding within the stone chamber.

Preston took a step forward, and cupped my face between his hands.

"What makes you think" he whispered through gritted teeth "That I still want you here?"

"You said… that night when you came for Paige…"

"That was months ago Arielle. You are a useless pitiful whore. You gave yourself to Cullen. To three-hundred-and-something-year-old-man Carlisle Cullen. I've no use for dirty cunts who spread their legs."

"But I left that very night!"

"It doesn't take months to get here Lass. Unless you bloody swam. And even then, with your inhuman speed, it shouldn't have taken this long."

"I…" I sputtered; choking over my own words, not understanding why they didn't see just why it had taken me so long. "I had to be sure I wasn't followed! Alice – her visions…"

"She lies." Preston hissed, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

Aro stroked his chin with his hand slowly. "Well, we can easily see if she's telling the truth. "Come here, Arielle. Please." He added as an afterthought.

I did as instructed and took a step towards him, and allowed him to grasp my hand within his own. He felt ashy, like he'd spent too much time erasing a child's chalkboard, and gotten covered with the stuff himself. I felt it as he invaded my mind.

After a moment, (or ten) he finally spoke. "She speaks the truth."

I felt relieved, and shuddered out a breath.

"But." Aro said, speaking again, and I felt my new found relief hitching. "She is still inescapably in love with Cullen."

At this, Preston simply smiled. "I cannot pretend this doesn't surprise me. And nor can I pretend I didn't expect it, _a ghra_. You disappoint me, Arielle." He turned to Jane, and nodded. At which, the small girl focused her energies, and turned her gaze towards me.

The pain was indescribable, like a thousand knives had punctured my lungs, heart and brain simultaneously. I screamed, cried out and begged for mercy.

"For the love of god, Preston!"

The hurt intensified, the only thing comparable was the pain of transformation, the white hot burning you feel when you become this immortal undead creature.

And I prayed for death.

"Enough." Marcus finally muttered. "Make a decision, Marx. Do you want her here or not?"

He took a second and looked pensive. "Toss her in the basement." He put emphasis on the last word, and I felt a hot lick of fear shoot up my aching spine.

"Are you sure that's wise, considering what's down there?" Demetri whispered, his mouth barely moving.

"They're going to come for me." I muttered, my voice seeming to act of its own accord, as suddenly, I remembered my near run-in with Rosalie in New York.

"Yes." Aro nodded. "I can see that. Put her in the basement. We need her out of the way when Carlisle and company arrive."

I was rooted to the floor, held there by Alec's strange control. I felt it as the hands contorted around my wrists and was powerless to stop them as the dragged me deep into the bowls of the castle. We descended at least ten stories bellow, deep underground, where there would be no chance of escape. I felt the air grow colder, and become saturated with dampness.

It was dirty down there, lacking the impressive stature the upstairs held. It was undoubtedly a prison, meant for sensory deprivation, meant to emotionally destroy a person.

I had a feeling it would work.

I knew it the instant the binds on my body had released. I was propelled into a room, and the door slammed shut without another word.

I glanced around. Water was dripping slowly from a crack in the stone near the ceiling. It stank of old piss and vomit.

And the stench had been created by the owner of the heartbeat in the corner.

I turned towards it, still shaky from the torture my body had just experienced. But when my eyes connected with this bruised, broken, helpless face, I felt my own pain melt away and I raced towards the corner.

"I thought…" I breathed the words out, unsure of what I wanted, of what I needed to say.

She finished the sentence for me. "You thought I was dead."


	10. All That's Known

_Author's Note: A double update! The muse is back. Expect this finished, probably within the week. Fuckin' A. Reviews are fantastic._

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**Leah: **

Ten years is a long time to spend locked away. It's a long time to be in the dark, forced to piss in buckets and sleep on stone floors. And during the time that passes, you move through fazes. You fight. You plead. With your captors. With God. With yourself. You cry. You maybe fight some more. But eventually, you just give up, because you reach a point where you have nothing left. You're numb to the world. You come to accept the fact that there will never be a white knight that rushes into rescue you and carry you off on his trusty steed towards safety and freedom. Stories like that are products of novels and fairy tales.

They don't come true.

And in my numbed state, there were days where I wanted nothing more than want to kick something. And I don't mean a menial light tap. I really want to swing back and kick the wall, or better yet myself. I feel stupid, and I hate feeling stupid more than anything else. I let myself get captured. I let my pack, my family and my friends down. I wanted to reel back and kick the stone wall, because when the pain that I knew was to follow such an action, would shoot up my foot, I would have been the one to cause it. Not Aro with his ever handy needle, nor Jane with her freaky mind consuming torture. And there were times too, where my captors ignored me for days, and it was during those times that I often felt like I was swimming for days on end, just treading water, never getting anywhere, but neither could I drown. Drowning would be better, because it would have been something. It would have been anything at all.

I'd come to accept the fact that the Cullen's as well as the pack must've assumed me dead. That I'd been swallowed up by the fire, rendered helpless by the burning and by the ever billowing smoke. The truth is, I probably would have been. I was forever trying to be a hero, always trying to protect Seth. In all likelihood, the flames would have consumed me. But for an icy hand that latched around my waist from behind. At first, I thought perhaps it was Carlisle, or another one of my allies, pulling me towards safety. But when I felt myself being hurtled into a car, and heard the screech of the tires churning on the pavement, I knew I had become a prisoner. I couldn't imagine what these Italian bloodsuckers would want from me. I knew my blood would taste no good to them. I thought, for a fleeting moment, that I was to become a tool, a method of bargaining, like a child held for ransom. But then they drew my blood. And prevented me from morphing into a wolf. It was then that I understood I was taken for research. As a method to understand the exact way my species works. And as a way to develop a method of defeating us. And once I'd realized that, I realized also, that once they believed they'd learnt everything there was to know, they'd kill me.

When the door opened, and the wisps' of light snuck in, I was confused, for it was too early to feed me. But then I wondered if maybe I had finally broken, after all this time, and had lost track of all sense of reality.

Then they pushed her inside. And the sweet scent of vampire permeated the air. My eyes had, over time, grown completely adjusted to the darkness, and I could make out her pale, waiflike figure perfectly. After all the time that had passed, I still recognized her. Arielle Cullen. She could sense me too, I knew, her keen vampire senses would tell her that my heart was beating, and her eyesight, developed for hunting in the dark would allow for her to see my face. I wondered if she'd recognize me. If years of starving and darkness had altered my appearance beyond all familiarity.

But then I heard her gasp, and I knew she knew who I was. I sensed it as she struggled with words. "I… I thought …"

I felt almost a laugh bubble up in my throat. "You thought I was dead." I finished for her.

She nodded, sinking to the floor next to me. I felt the air drop another two degrees. I wanted to hate her. I wanted to hate all vampires. But especially anyone named Cullen, for they were the reason I had been trapped here for so very long.

I couldn't bring myself to be able to. I was beyond wishing for revenge, and beyond hoping that I would ever be freed from my prison, so for the moment, I found I was actually grateful to see her, lucky to have someone to talk to and discover what events had taken place during my incarceration.

"How did you end up here?" I found myself asking her. My voice was harsh, broken from lack of use and I coughed a few times, trying to force it back to normal.

"I came back to Preston. I thought… if I did he might finally leave my family… and yours alone."

It felt as though my heart had sank into my stomach. "What does my family have to do with Preston?"

"Seth…" she faltered, obviously looking for the right words.

"Seth what?!" I cried out, finally feeling some semblance of life return to my soul.

"Seth imprinted on my daughter." She finally managed to spit out. "They're together. Our families are together."

I didn't know if I should be happy or angry. But getting mad seemed to be the typical Leah reaction, and I just went with it. "Ah. I see." I spat the words out, sarcasm stinging with every one. "So this is a noble journey then. You're protecting your family. And mine, for that matter. Did you ever think, Arielle, just for a fucking moment, about what they'd do without you? How it could destroy them at the very core? That you're probably the only thing that keeps Carlisle moving anymore? Or how your daughter will handle being in love, having sex, getting married without her mother around? Did you think, just for a second that they might follow you here?! That in fact they might all get killed? Simply because you needed to be valiant?"

Okay, so every angry thought I'd had in the past ten years seemed to pour out of me. But it bothered me that she seemed to be so ignorant of everyone around her. That she never seemed to realize her actions had consequences. I didn't understand how she could be so damn selfish.

"Leah," her voice was soft, shaky with what I sure, had she been human, would've been tears "I didn't think…"

"That's right. You didn't think. You never did. It's the reason I'm here. Because you only think of yourself. You only care about yourself. Carlisle Cullen loves you, and he is, without a doubt, the most selfless creature on the plant. You took advantage of that. Used to make yourself better. You played the damsel in distress, you used your charms and manipulated him into loving you. You destroyed that family."

Her breathing had evened out, her eyes had narrowed and turned cold. "You think I planned it? That I set out to be rescued after Preston tried to stab me to death? That I planned become a vampire, some mythical creature I didn't even know existed at the time, and to somehow trick the smartest man I know into falling in love with me? Come on, not even the greatest fiction writer on the bloody planet could come up with something that ridiculous. You're pissed off, and I don't blame you for being so. But this isn't my entire fault. Despite what you may think, or choose to believe. And honestly, it doesn't matter. It's you and me down here now, and if we want to live, we need to find a way out."

I blew out a breath. So she was right.

"Okay genius. Any ideas?"

Arielle shrugged. "You know the routine better than I. Obviously they feed you. So they'll be back. And I could probably lift the door. As long as it's not Alec or Jane that brings the food, I can handle whomever is on the other end. We could get out of this room."

"And then what? I can barely walk. The only exercise I get is walking around this room. There is no possible way I can run."

"But I can. And I don't think they've got us very well guarded. We could get out." Her voice grew stronger with each word, as if she was trying to convince herself as well. "We can get out. And they'll come for us later, but we'll have the back up. The protection that we so desperately need, and lack here."

Her words made sense. I found myself slowly believing. Latching onto the only shred of hope I'd felt in nearly ten years.

"You really think you could lift the door?"

She nodded. "Yeah. It's solid wood, not reinforced. I can easily tear it from its hinges."

"Then don't wait for them to bring the food. They don't guard the room. Let's just… go."

"They might be expecting that…" she murmured, thinking.

"Not if they believed the noble bullshit you were spewing."

"They did. Every word."

"Then it's clear. And we could be free."

Arielle nodded, saying nothing more. She simply moved quick as light, and silently lifted the door off its hinge. Then, nearly as quickly, she was back at my side, hefting my emaciated frame onto her back.

We ran, around me all I could see were shades of grey as the we moved past endless brick walls. And finally, a shred of light, a glimmer of light.

And voices. Whispered mutters coming from down the hallway. From the antechamber where the guard gathered.

"I don't know what to tell you, old friend. She isn't here."

Aro's voice resonated down the corridor, and Arielle froze, it was if I could read her thoughts.

"I don't know what you should do." I hissed. "But whatever it is, you had better make it quick, because we don't have much time."

She looked towards the room, and then towards the light, towards the outside. She set me down, gently, and pointed towards the door, motioning that she knew I had the time to get out, even walking as slowly as I would need to. And she turned and ran towards Aro. Towards Carlisle, and towards death.

I don't know why she did it. Maybe to prove to me that she wasn't selfish, or maybe it was because she really did love Carlisle. I really don't know, and I didn't take the time to wait around to find out. I turned and with everything I had left in me, I ran.

I've heard it said that when faced with death, when consumed by fear, the human body can complete seemingly impossible feats. I remember, being younger and Sam told me a story about a woman who's baby had gotten trapped underneath a car. And somehow, she managed to lift the car off the ground. With her bare hands. I don't know if the story was true or not, but it seemed pretty cool. He'd said that when faced with a situation like that, the body produces adrenaline, And the adrenaline keeps you going, it helps you survive. So, maybe it was adrenaline coursing through my veins, I don't really know, but I didn't even give it a thought. I raced outside, and didn't stop until I could see the sun rising. And I crashed hard into a marble body, sweet and sticky smelling. A vampire.

I didn't have time to be afraid. I thought, just for a moment, that I was glad I had at least made the effort to escape. And it was then that I noticed the hands weren't trying to drag me back inside. So I opened my eyes and stared into the face.

"Edward Cullen." I whispered breathlessly. One of the good guys. And with that last thought echoing in my mind, I felt my body give out, and I succumbed to the blackness.


	11. Supermassive Black Hole

Author's Note: I hoped to have this finished last night, but SVU was on, so no such luck. But hey, it's here, and you didn't have to wait a month for it either. Please review and such.

Disclaimer: I've used quotes from the orginal Twilight book. They're in italics. The words are property of Stephanie Meyer. Not me. Please don't think I'm stealing her words, I've used her exact lines because I think it's an interesting concept to see the same words used in a different context. It's not a lack of creativity, it's just me playing around with different writing styles. Don't be mad, and don't sue. :) okay onto the chapter:

* * *

**Carlisle:**

" _I'd never given much thought to how I would die- though I'd had reason enough in the last few months- but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this."_

Aro stared at me, his eyes cold, soulless. And I could tell he was lying.

_I stared without breathing across the long room, in to the dark eyes of the hunter, and he looked pleasantly back at me._

"I don't know what to tell you, old friend**,**" he muttered. "She's not here."

"After it all, you will stand there and lie to me?" I spat coldly, never letting my gaze stray from his face.

"I don't have your wife. She has not been here."

"Liar!" I bellowed the word, for the first time ever, outright challenging him.

_Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of someone else, someone I loved. Noble, even. __**T**__hat ought to count for something."_

I watched, seemingly in slow motion, as Aro gave the nod to Jane, and the tiny witch-like vampire raised her hand in my direction.

Then, a blur of light, a flash of red, and no pain.

Because Arielle was on the ground, taking the blow for me, as I had done for her so many years before.

"Enough." Aro whispered, and dutifully, Jane obeyed.

"Carlisle. You shouldn't have come." The words came out on a breath as she struggled with the ebb and flow of pain. And in that moment, as I stared into her golden eyes, I knew Bella had been right. And that I'd been a fool when I'd believed Arielle when she told me she no longer loved me.

All rational thought told me to be angry. But the only person I could imagine being angry with was myself.

"How could I not?" I murmured, kneeling beside her. "immer in meinher. Remember?" And I took her ring off the chain on my neck and slipped it back onto her slender finger.

"I'm sorry, Carlisle." She muttered**.** "So so sorry."

"No, you've nothing to apologize for." I smiled gently, and helped her lift her feet from the ground. Preston began a round of slow, sardonic applause as he descended towards us.

"Beautiful, that one can find love after being torn, and broken."

"You know nothing of love." I said coldly.

He stopped walking, a pensive look crossing his brow. "Perhaps I don't. But then again, you don't know what I know."

"I know enough about you to know that you are incapable of caring for another."

He laughed. "Oh yes, right your 'If you loved your wife, you wouldn't lay a hand on her' speech. How utterly touching. How completely heartwrenching. Except it's not true. Sometimes, we all require a little discipline in our lives… a little control."

He was manipulating my body, controlling me, forcing me to remain rooted to the floor. Preston took the final step and cupped my wife's face in his hands.

"Right ptichka? Tell him how you came crawling back to me. Always in the end love, back to me, to be hit, to be taken and raped."

"You're actually willing to admit that?" she whispered**.**

"Yeah I'll admit it." He countered fearlessly **.**"But I must've done something right too, because you keep coming back."

It was then that she did the thing I least expected.

Arielle spit on his face.

Preston was shocked enough that he released his hold over me, staggering backwards.

"Did you forget?" she spoke gently, but there was a hint of ice playing in her voice. "That I only came back to you, and only promised to stay as long as you left the Cullen's alone? I'm pretty sure that Aro even pointed out that I was unconditionally in love with Carlisle. Not you. Never you again."

I was stunned by her words. Not because of what she was saying, but simply the fact that she was saying it at all. She was standing up for herself, for me, and for everything we'd built together

When Preston said nothing more, Arielle simply rolled her eyes, turned on her heels and moved to leave.

And it was then that I received my second shock of the night.

Seth, followed by Paige, Emmett, Rosalie, Jacob, Nessie, Alice, Jasper, and Bella bust through the doors.

"Nobody leaves." He announced "Nobody fucking leaves until I find out why my sister was held here like she was."

I winced at his crude use of language, but barely had a moment for it to register, before the confusion set in. Sister? Leah? Here, captive and alive? It was almost too much to comprehend.

"Yes" Aro admitted patiently. "We captured her. We studied her. There was no ill treatment, she was fed three square meals a day."

At this Arielle threw her hands in the air, a look of pained disgust crossed her face. "Don't you get it? Leah's mostly human! She needs more than three meals a day to be considered healthy. She needed fresh air, sunlight and a chance to run around. You didn't give her that. I don't think you even could. After all the time you've existed, after all you've studied and come to understand you still don't get it. I guess you need compassion to comprehend what a human needs. And that's something you all obviously lack. After all, you welcomed Preston into your guard with open arms simply because he had a power you found… interesting. You selectively ignored the fact that he was… probably still is… a rapist. A homicidal wife-beating rapist. Completely insane." Across the room, Preston growled, a feral sound, angry and guttural, low within his throat. Arielle ignored him, and bravely took a step closer, coming nose to nose with Aro. "But hey, who cares, because his power helps you guys out, right?"

"Mrs. Cullen, I think, perhaps you are misunderstanding…"

She cut him off, her voice cold, and her once fading accent growing stronger with every word. "I'm not misunderstanding a damn thing." She turned away, faced me for a moment, and smiled, then turned back. "I'm done. We're all done. You've stood there and lied to us all long enough."

"We do tend to forget these things," he said easily "But there was no harm done, and obviously, Ms. Clearwater has been re-united with her family. Let's let bygones be bygones, shall we?"

Seth couldn't handle it any longer, and shaking, he lost control and morphed into his wolf form, destroying his clothing in the process. He lunged at Aro, heading straight for his throat. Rena, his personal guardian, projected her shield, but I knew Bella had already activated hers, and was wrapping it around all of us. Paige, afraid to let Seth get hurt, seemed to melt into the floor as she raced towards Jane. Arielle, of course, rushed to her daughters defense, and I to hers.

_In essence,_ _all hell broke loose. _


	12. Where The Lines Overlap

**Author's Note: **Okay. I know, the cliffhanger was evil. But here you go, the new chapter. That wait wasn't too awful. A huge thank you to Allison, I couldn't have finished this tonight without her.

**Disclaimer:** I quote Eclipse. But it's used in context. You'll see. Nothing is mine. If it was, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.

* * *

**Edward: **

She was the very last person I expected to come rushing out of the castle. If I hadn't trusted my senses above almost all other things, I wouldn't have believed it. When Leah Clearwater crashed into me, I didn't just feel the emaciated body of a girl I'd thought dead. I was hit with a thousand pounds of guilt, anguish, and empathy. Guilt for assuming her dead and leaving her to rot. Anguish for the pain she and Seth had gone through. Empathy, because, like it or not, I was a mind reader. In her mind was darkness. It was all the despair I had felt without my Bella, plus torture at the hands of the most sadistic vampires on the globe.

Her eyes looked up into mine. I imagine that they were what a ghost's eyes would look like. She looked like a walking corpse, but that wasn't what inspired the thought. It was the lifeless stare beneath those sunken lids. It hurt and scared me, to feel the pain and darkness she had endured. She cried out my name, a helpless sound, a sigh of relief, and let go, succumbed to the blackness.

I had a fleeting thought that perhaps, it was better that way, as Carlisle had once said "She'll come around when she's ready. She's had too much to deal with today. Let her mind protect itself." For her own head might have been the very best place for her then.

I lifted her into my arms, cautiously, like I had done with Bella before she lost her humanity. Leah was as fragile now as Bella had ever been. Seth had appeared at my side instantly. I looked up. My entire family was there, with Bella and I. Bella was speechless, and perhaps whiter than usual, if it was possible.

"L..Leah?" Seth's voice trembled. There was no answer; she was unconscious. Breathing, and finally resting after all these years. I searched Seth's face for emotion before my mind even got a chance to read his.

Worry. Fear. Anxiety.

"She isn't dead." I whispered, immediately. "Don't worry. We have her now. Carlisle's the best doctor there is. We'll have her right in no time." I promised. Even though I knew Seth had done a lot of growing up in the last ten years, in that moment he was the runt of the pack, aching for reassurance. He did his best to look convinced.

I watched as Paige gathered his face between her hands, connecting their eyes together. "Your sister … she will be okay."

At her words, Seth managed a shaky nod, and a whispered "Alright."

Then he turned to face me.

"What happened? How could she have been here all this time, and we didn't know?"

"They kept her human." I responded as gently as I could, but honestly, for he needed the truth. After all the time that had passed, he deserved that much. "She…" I sighed, unsure of how to phrase my words "They wanted to know more about your species."

Behind me, Bella gasped, and Seth's face contorted with rage.

"She was their guinea pig?" he roared "A mother fucking science experiment?!"

Helplessly I nodded. "In a nutshell."

He bolted through the still open doors, into the castle. And most of my family, predictably, followed suit, and while they all could've out run him, they chose not to.

This was Seth's fight.

***

Even through the stone of the walls, my vampire senses allowed me to hear Seth scream. Hear him bellow and order at the Volturi guard as nobody had ever done before.

"Nobody leaves." He cried "Nobody fucking leaves until I find out why my sister was held here like she was."

I shivered subconsciously as another wave of guilt rushed through my body. _How could we not have known? _I thought bitterly. _How could we not have prevented this?_

I was certain we would all die tonight.

But I focused my efforts into reviving Leah. For in that moment, it was all I could do.

***

Bella remained at my side, but she wasn't focused on me or the sleeping girl in my arms. She had expended a huge amount of energy on shielding our family, and was concentrated fully on that. She seemed to sense my gaze, however, because she shot me a hard, blazing look... As if to say _We _will _live through this, Edward Cullen. Don't you dare suggest otherwise. _I nodded in understanding, but not in belief. With Seth's blind rage, and my entire family ready to sacrifice themselves for one another, how could we all escape death again? The morbid thoughts were creeping through my limbs, and I realized with a jolt...my _daughter _had run in, too.

It took all the considerable self control that I had to not drop Leah and run after Renesmee. She's with _Jacob. _I reminded myself. Who would sooner die than let her be hurt. On the other hand, if it came to that, Nessie would be hurt in a way that the Volturi could otherwise never inflict. What could I do? Not for the first time in my life, I was torn. I decided in a second that Leah would be safe with Bella, protected by the shield, protected by distance from the Volturi.

I kissed my wife, and ran to protect our daughter.

***

I slid gracefully into the grand room that held so many vampires on edge. An eerie feeling of de ja vu crept upon me. I pushed those thoughts away from me, blocking out whoever they had come from. Now was no time to revisit my mistakes. I had time to analyze the situation accurately, enough time to focus on Seth, not enough time to help him or advise him. His mind was screaming. In wordless agony, desire for justice.

Aro's political, pacifying reply to Seth's outburst made the rage inside my head intensify; I could barely feel my own thoughts of anger and contempt, Seth's were so overpowering. My knees nearly gave out as I was emerged in something like a scream of lightning inside a funnel, begging to be seen, to be let out. Flashes of white trying to throw themselves outwards, only to be sucked back in.

It was sheer pressure, from top to bottom, and something within Seth, almost in me, broke.

The clothing ripped from his skin, tearing and flying in every direction. Seth's leap into the air was feral, propelled forward by pure rage. His body slammed into Aro's, and his teeth connected with the heartless leader's marble flesh.

Thoughts went wild. A common instinct engulfed the room.

Protect.

Defend yourself, defend the ones you love.

I found my own thoughts melting with Seth's. The guilt of allowing his sister to suffer for so long had my image of rage, and his righteous anger blending into one.

In that moment, I saw as he saw, heard as he heard. I ran closer, footsteps pounding on the stone floor, heavy like thunder with each step.

Jane, Demetri, Rena, and Alec were all desperately focused, trying to force their powers to work. But like a blanket of cellophane, Bella's shield wrapped around us, ever protecting. Rosalie and Emmett raced towards them, physically restraining them in a matter of seconds. Powerless, they had no real fight in them.

My eyes were focused on Seth, and I saw the incoming danger before he ever would. My reflexes were sharper, and my vision better. I did all I could, and cried out to him.

"Seth! Behind you!"

He managed to pivot, duck, and avoid Preston, just barely.

"Leave my brother alone! You've done enough damage to my family! You won't have him too!" The room froze, spun slowly and watched as Leah Clearwater, still shaky on her feet morphed into the familiar thin grey wolf.

She crouched low, her eyes sharp, and pounced. Preston grabbed at her, his sharp fingernails sliced like claws through her skin. But her brain was focused, and using the momentum she still had from her jump and the pain of the fresh wound, she bit down and heard the satisfying crunch of cartilage.

Preston yanked her by the scruff of her neck, pulling her off of himself, and with every ounce of force he had in his body, he tossed her across the room, and into one of the many tinted windows that lined the wall.

Glass imploded.

Shards flew.

Leah lay at the base of the wall, legs bent at an odd angle, her body vibrating with pain, her face slick with blood.

_It has to end._ She thought quietly._ Here, now. Make them pay._

Even from across the room, I could tell the moment the life slipped from her body, the instant she was gone.

Someone screamed. But it was Arielle, not Seth, as I'd expected that raced forward in retaliation.

"You son of a bitch. You're going to pay for that."

It wasn't an exclamation, it was a statement of fact. She charged him, landed a kick square in his sternum, and visibly stole his breath.

He spun and swiped at her, missed her face by sheer inches. But he smiled. "Wanna play rough, _a ghra_?"

She thought about backing off. She thought about letting Carlisle do it. But she was sick of being weak, and she was sick of being Preston's victim. And there was that cold hard centere of her that wanted the fight, wanted vengeance for Leah. Wanted the blood.

Arielle feinted, and jabbed, ramming her fist into his grin. She took him down, and I watched the smile fade as they somersaulted sideways. When they rolled off the edge of the platform, the snapping sound was sickening. It churned even an undead stomach, because for just a moment, we weren't sure who's neck had snapped. But then Arielle moved, and began to meticulously tear him apart.

Marcus and Caius moved to defend Aro, but Alice and Jasper reached them first, and their youthful agilities got the better of the aged vampires.

Carlisle lit a match, tossed it into the dry cobweb filled curtains that surrounded the room. The fire simmered, then began to billow, the smoke rose in puffs filling the air. Jacob and Nessie both raced forward to help Arielle dismantle Preston.

The flames were getting out of control, spreading rapidly, consuming everything within their path. It smelled sickly, overly sweet. The stench of death. I watched Bella scoop up Leah's lifeless form and carry it to safety somewhere outside. At least this time, she'd have a proper funeral.

Paige had joined Seth; the two poured their souls into ending this. Because they believed it would end with his death.

I wondered if they'd be right.


End file.
